Safety climbing device



Aug. 7, 1945. J..C. cox 2,381,114

SAFETY CLIMBING DEVICE Filed July 27, 1944 Inventor: JESSE C. Cox

Attorney V vice adapted to be used by line men and should slip or tear out of the v I Patented Aug. 7, 1945 UNITED STATES a PATENT 1 OFFICE 2,381.11; I SAFETY CLIMBING DEVICE Jesse .o. cox. Robbinsdale, Minn; Application July 27, 1944, Serial No. 546,863

This invention relates to a safety climbing deother persons climbing poles or trees.

Line men and other persons doing climbing now commonly use spikes or cleats attached to their shoes which they insert or sink into the pole or tree as the same is ascended, theclimbe'r reaching around the tree with his arms as he ascends. The climber must depend largely upon the support of said spikes'or cheats and if these ole or tree he is aptto sustain a fall. Many line men and other climbers have been seriously injured in this manner and quite a number of such persons have been .killed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device which can be used by the climber in his ascent of thepole or tree which is so constructed that should the spikes or cleats of the climber slip or'tear out of the pole or tree he will be prevented from falling.. i

It is a further object of the invention to pro-' vide a safety climbing device comprising a member adapted to extend 'aroundone side of-the tree to adjacent the other side, said member having hand grips secured adjacent its ends and having a strand of flexible material attached to the body of the climber and constructed and arranged to tighten the device about the pole or tree should the climber start to fall.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device comprising a strand of stiff flexible material having'a substantially semi-circular portion or bight adapted to extend about the pole or tree, said portion having hand grips adjacent its ends. an apertured member or loop adjacent one of said ends and a strand of flexible material secured adjacent the other of said ends and movable freely through said apertured member or loop and provided with means to be attached to a belt worn by the operator.

It is'more specifically an object of the invention to provide a safety climbing'device comprising a strand of rope-like material having a me.

' tion surface and being made still as by having a still wire disposed therein, said strand having a substantially semi-circular portion adapted to for easily varying the length thereof.

extend about the pole or tree and being formed a into outwardly extending loops at each end of said portion, said strand also being formed into a having a freely flexible end portion extending. from adjacent the other end and movable freely an hook asters refer to similar parts several views and in which- 8 Claims. (Cl. 227--24) adapted to be attached to'a belt worn by the operator and also preferably having means thereon These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description. made in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference char- Fig. 1 is a view in horizontal plan of the device,- the same being shown as extending about a pole illustrated in horizontal cross section;

' Fig. 2 is a substantially horizontal section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a substantially horizontal section taken substantially on line 3"3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a substantially horizontal section" taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 1, said sections bein taken as indicated; by the arrows; and Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation ofa' portion of the rope used, the same being shown on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawing a safetyclimbing device is shown comprising a member III which will be made of flexible but rather stiff material. While various materials could be used, in one practical embodiment of the invention member in is made of a strand of comparatively heavy rope. Member III is formed intermediateits ends into a substantially semi-circular portion or bight (0a. Portion we is adapted to extend about oneside of a pole or tree ll. At one end of portion Na a hand-grip member Illb is formed and at the other end ofportion Ina a hand grip member Illc is provided. While members lllb and We could be variously constructed and secured to portion Illa, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the rope i0 is bent to form loops lb and la. An apertured member or third loop lld isjprovlded adiacent. loop IOb ands strand of flexible material Iile is provided extending from adjacent the hand grip Mcand passed, through the apertured member or loop ii d, said strand being freely movablethrough member led. While the apertured portion"o'r' loop Md and strand We could beevariously formed and at-' tached, in the embodiment of the 'invention illustrated'they are formed as integral portions of the rope used to form member ID. As shown in third loop adjacent one end of said portion and 1, the side of portion Ifla at the' right of Fig. 1 extends outwardly from pole H and the loop Hid is formed therein. The rope is then coiled about said end of portion Illa as shown at llij and said;

rope then extends outwardly to form loop illbp The end of the rope is carried along the side of throughout the about the pole as shown-in Fig. 1.

' into the pole.

portion I00. at the right of Fig. 1. at the left hand side of Fig. 1 is continued downwardly and outwardly to form the loop We as shown in said figure and is then continued to form the strand Ie. In order to'get the desired stiffness into the portion No a stiff wire I2 is provided. One end of this wire is shown at the right of Fig. 1 as coiled about portion I0a adjacent one end thereof and holds the terminal end of the rope in position. After being coiled about portion Ma and said end said wire enters the rope and extends substantially axially thereof around loop I01) and around portion I0a. and into and around loop I0c. The wire I2 emerges from the rope as shown at the left hand side of Fi 1' adjacent the inner end of loop I00 and at the attached end of the strand I0e. Said wire is coiled about portion I0a at the left hand side thereof as shown in Fig. 1. The wire I2 as stated, gives the desired stiffness to the portion Na and yet allows the desired flexibility in said portion. The strand We is reversely bent adjacent its terminal end and is formed with a loop I0 A metallic member I3 of slightly curved form intermediate its ends has rings or loops I3a at each end through which strand I0e passes. The reversely bent portion of strand I0e forms a loop I071. in which is received the ring Ila pivotally connected to and forming part of a snap hook I4 adapted to be readily attached and detached from a ring I5 which will be secured to a belt IB-worn by the climber or operator. hook I4 is shown as Mb. v

In operation when the climber is to climb a pole the device will be placed in position with the semi-circular loop or bight I0a extending Strand I0e will then be passed through the loop Md and the snap hook I4 will be attached to the belt worn by the climber as described.-- The member I3 can be moved along the strand I0e-to vary the length grasps the loops I01) .and Me with his hands respectively and holds the portion I0a against the opposite side of the pole as he inserts his spikes the device and portion I0a along the pole with each step or two. The pole is thus embraced by the portion I0a instead, of by the arms of 'the operator as'is the usual custom. Should the climbers spikes tear out of the pole or tree andshould he start to fall, his weight will be transmitted to the strand We and this will pull through the loop I0d so that the portion I0a will be pulled i ht about the pole H. The fall of the climber will thus be stopped and he can readily again insert his spikes into the pole and resume his climb.

It will-be seen that the more force placed upon the end of strand We the tighter will the portion I0a be drawnabout the tree or pole.- It is easier for the operator to hold the hand grip members or loops I01; and I00 and successively move portion I0o. upwardly than it is for him to embrace the pole with his hands and arms. The climber is relieved of contacting the often rough and splintery pole or tree with his hands.

From the above description it will be seen that The movable jaw of snap As he moves up the pole he moves Portion No by a ring I5 and the climber is then ready for the climbing operation. One form of the invention illustrated is easily and conveniently made from one strand of rope together with the wire I2. The rope has a good friction surface and grips the pole or tree in a very desirable manner. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful and efficient.

It will of course, be understood that various changesmay be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicant's invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A safety climbing device having in combination, an elongated member of stiff but flexible material, the same being formed into a bight adapted to extend partially around a pole or tree trunk and have its ends disposed at one side thereof, a hand grip member at each end of said bight, a strand of flexible material secured adjacent one end of said bight and an apertured member secured at the other end of said bight through which said strand passes and in which it is freely movable and means at the end of said strand adapted for attachment to a belt or other article fastened to the operator.

2. A safety climbing device comprising an elongated member of stiff but bendable material, the same beingformed into substantially semi-circular portion, a loop at'each end of said portion forming hand grips respectively, a third loop adjacent one end of said portion, a strand of flexible material extendingfrom adjacent the end of said portion opposite said third loop and passing freely'through said third loop and means at the end of said strand adapted to be attached to a belt or other article fastened to the operator.

3. .A safety climbing device comprising a strand of flexible material formed betweenits ends into a substantially semi-circular portion, said strand being formed into an outwardly extending loop at each end of said semi-circular portion, said loops constituting hand grips, said strand beyond one of said loops being formed into a third loop, one end portion .of said strand extending from the one of said first mentioned loops at the end of said semi-circular portion opposite said third loop and passing freely through said third loop and means adjacent the end of said end portion adapted to be attached to the-operator.

4. A safety climbing device comprising a strand of rope, said rope comprising an intermediate bight portion adapted to embrace a tree trunk or pole and have its ends disposed at one side thereof and being formed into loops at each end of said portion, a stiff bendable wire extending through said bight portion and loops, one end portion of said strand extending beyond one of said loops and wire and being formed into a third loop, said strand extending from adjacent the other of said first mentioned loops and passing freely through said third loop and means at the one side thereof, hand grip meinbers at the ends of said bight, a strand of flexible material extending from adjacent one of said hand grip members and a loop formed adjacent the other of said hand grip members through which said strand freely passes and in which it is freely movable, means adjacent the end of said strand for attachment to an article fastened to the operator and means for varying the length of said strand.

6. A safety climbing device comprising a unitary strand of rope, said strand being formed intermediate its ends into a bight adapted to extend around a portion of a pole or tree trunk, said strand at the ends of said bight being formed into outwardly extending loops constitutin hand grips, a stiff flexible'wirecoiled about said strand adjacent one of said loops, said wire entering said strand and passing around said loops and said bight and passing out of said strand adjacent the inner end of said other loop and coiled about said strand, said strand being formed into a third loop adjacent one of said first mentioned loops and also having an end portion extending from the other of said first mentioned loops and passing freely through said third loop and means at the end of said end portion adapted to be attached to an article worn by or fastened to the operator.

'7. A safety climbing device having in combination, an elongated member of flexible material,

the same being formed intermediate its ends into a curved bight adapted to extend partially around a pole or tree trunk and have its ends disposed at one side thereof, an apertured member adjacent one end of said bight and a strand of flexible material secured adjacent the other end of said bight and passing through and freely movable through said apertured member, the end portion of said strand opposite said bight being adapted for attachment to the operator whereby should said operator fall said strand will move through said apertured member and tighten said bight about said pol or tree trunk thus stop-ping the operators fall.

8. A safety climbing device having in combination, an elongated member of rope-like material, the same being formed into a bight adapted to extend partially around a pole or tree trunk and have t ends sposed at one side thereof, said member having portions at the ends of said bight adapted to be grasped by the operator for manipulating said bight, a strand of flexible material secured adjacent one end of said bight and a loop at the other end of said bight through which said strand passes and in which it is freely movable and means at the end of said strand adapted for attachment to a belt Or other article fastened to the operator.

JESSE C. COX. 

